1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the use of alkyl glycosides and alkyl ethers for reinforcing the bacteria-reducing effects of disinfectant-containing cleaners for hard surfaces, as well as disinfecting cleaners for hard surfaces with selected disinfectants. Hard surfaces are defined as all non-textile surfaces occurring in the household, e.g., floors, work surfaces, kitchen equipment, sinks, shower stalls and bathtubs, toilet bowls, utensils, etc.
Disinfectant cleaning agents are known; however, up to now success has not been achieved in combining optimal cleaning performance and optimal disinfection efficacy. The usual disinfectant cleaners, for example, contain quaternary ammonium compounds in combination with nonionic surfactants; to be sure, such cleaners have adequate disinfectant action, but their cleaning performance leaves something to be desired. On the other hand, replacing the nonionic surfactants with anionic surfactants of strong cleaning intensity has the drawback that the disinfectant activity decreases greatly.
On the basis of the present invention it has become possible, starting from disinfectant-containing cleaners of the state of the art, to discover surfactant combinations which, in addition to good cleaning performance, ensure intensification of the bacteria-reducing efficacy of the disinfectants contained in the cleaners.
An additional task is that of developing cleaners for hard surfaces with selected disinfectant agents which display both good cleaning performance and good disinfectant activity.
2. Discussion of Related Art
German patents DE 3,444,958 and DE 3,619,375 describe the use of alkyl glycosides as potentiating agents for increasing the microbicidal efficacy of the biguanide compounds and of alcohols and carboxylic acids, especially in body care agents.
In international patent application WO 86/5199, cleaning agents are disclosed which contain alkyl glycosides, amine oxides, and quaternary ammonium compounds as surfactants.
The international patent application WO 86/5509 discloses disinfectant cleaners which contain alkyl glycosides as surfactant and quaternary ammonium compounds as disinfectant. However, the cleaning effect of these combinations leaves something to be desired.
Finally, in German Offenlegungsschrift DE 4,007,758, disinfecting cleaners for automatically-operated units for spray disinfection of hospital equipment are described, containing as disinfectant a quaternary ammonium compound and the reaction product of N-substituted propylene diamines with glutamic acid or glutamic acid esters.
None of the documents contained in the state of the art discloses the use of the special surfactant combination described in the following for intensifying the bacteria-reducing action of disinfectant-containing cleaners.